(Stacker) — Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of May of this year, national unemployment is at 3.6%—as it was in both March and April, marking a three-month stagnation—following a steady drop since that aforementioned COVID-affected peak. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in Nebraska and Utah, to 5.3% in New Mexico and 5.8% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in April 2022, which as of this writing is the most current Bureau data.

#50. Dauphin County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.83%
— 1 month change: -0.2%
— 1 year change: -2.8%
– Total labor force: 146,730 (5,618 unemployed)

#49. Susquehanna County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.84%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -1.8%
– Total labor force: 19,867 (763 unemployed)

#48. Fulton County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.85%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.5%
– Total labor force: 7,018 (270 unemployed)

#47. Bradford County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.86%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -2.0%
– Total labor force: 27,353 (1,056 unemployed)

#46. Northampton County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.90%
— 1 month change: -0.3%
— 1 year change: -2.2%
– Total labor force: 162,675 (6,350 unemployed)

#45. Bedford County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.98%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.0%
– Total labor force: 23,465 (933 unemployed)

#44. Allegheny County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.98%
— 1 month change: -0.3%
— 1 year change: -2.4%
– Total labor force: 628,676 (25,034 unemployed)

#43. Blair County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.99%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 58,620 (2,341 unemployed)

#42. Delaware County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.16%
— 1 month change: -0.2%
— 1 year change: -2.4%
– Total labor force: 294,220 (12,251 unemployed)

#41. Westmoreland County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.18%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 174,486 (7,285 unemployed)

#40. Mifflin County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.27%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -1.6%
– Total labor force: 20,517 (877 unemployed)

#39. Warren County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.28%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 17,296 (741 unemployed)

#38. Berks County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.33%
— 1 month change: -0.3%
— 1 year change: -2.4%
– Total labor force: 208,097 (9,017 unemployed)

#37. Clarion County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.35%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 16,556 (721 unemployed)

#36. Washington County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.41%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.6%
– Total labor force: 104,214 (4,596 unemployed)

#35. Crawford County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.46%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -2.2%
– Total labor force: 37,167 (1,658 unemployed)

#34. Lehigh County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.46%
— 1 month change: -0.3%
— 1 year change: -2.8%
– Total labor force: 196,115 (8,750 unemployed)

#33. Jefferson County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.46%
— 1 month change: -0.7%
— 1 year change: -2.0%
– Total labor force: 19,312 (862 unemployed)

#32. Wyoming County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.47%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 13,256 (593 unemployed)

#31. Tioga County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.59%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 18,591 (853 unemployed)

#30. Lycoming County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.59%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.2%
– Total labor force: 54,226 (2,489 unemployed)

#29. Indiana County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.61%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -2.0%
– Total labor force: 36,345 (1,677 unemployed)

#28. Lackawanna County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.65%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -2.5%
– Total labor force: 103,629 (4,814 unemployed)

#27. Schuylkill County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.72%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -2.2%
– Total labor force: 64,145 (3,029 unemployed)

#26. Venango County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.75%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.2%
– Total labor force: 21,053 (1,001 unemployed)

#25. Elk County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.78%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 14,670 (701 unemployed)

#24. Mercer County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.79%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.5%
– Total labor force: 47,005 (2,250 unemployed)

#23. Somerset County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.79%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -2.0%
– Total labor force: 31,669 (1,516 unemployed)

#22. Carbon County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.81%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 32,227 (1,551 unemployed)

#21. Clinton County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.81%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 16,968 (817 unemployed)

#20. Cambria County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.83%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 54,993 (2,657 unemployed)

#19. Northumberland County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.87%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -2.0%
– Total labor force: 40,964 (1,996 unemployed)

#18. Huntingdon County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.90%
— 1 month change: -1.1%
— 1 year change: -2.2%
– Total labor force: 19,036 (932 unemployed)

#17. Armstrong County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.93%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -2.8%
– Total labor force: 30,926 (1,524 unemployed)

#16. Wayne County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.94%
— 1 month change: -0.9%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 21,731 (1,073 unemployed)

#15. Sullivan County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.96%
— 1 month change: -1.1%
— 1 year change: -2.5%
– Total labor force: 2,500 (124 unemployed)

#14. Erie County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.01%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -2.6%
– Total labor force: 125,868 (6,311 unemployed)

#13. Beaver County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.02%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 81,393 (4,087 unemployed)

#12. McKean County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.07%
— 1 month change: -0.5%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 16,398 (831 unemployed)

#11. Clearfield County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.08%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -2.4%
– Total labor force: 35,024 (1,779 unemployed)

#10. Potter County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.16%
— 1 month change: -1.3%
— 1 year change: -1.8%
– Total labor force: 6,905 (356 unemployed)

#9. Cameron County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.21%
— 1 month change: -1.1%
— 1 year change: -2.0%
– Total labor force: 1,957 (102 unemployed)

#8. Lawrence County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.26%
— 1 month change: -1.1%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 39,091 (2,055 unemployed)

#7. Greene County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.33%
— 1 month change: -0.2%
— 1 year change: -2.2%
– Total labor force: 15,399 (820 unemployed)

#6. Luzerne County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.50%
— 1 month change: -0.6%
— 1 year change: -3.0%
– Total labor force: 156,433 (8,607 unemployed)

#5. Monroe County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.65%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -2.3%
– Total labor force: 82,073 (4,636 unemployed)

#4. Pike County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.71%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 25,407 (1,452 unemployed)

#3. Fayette County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.92%
— 1 month change: -0.8%
— 1 year change: -3.0%
– Total labor force: 54,825 (3,246 unemployed)

#2. Philadelphia County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.03%
— 1 month change: -0.2%
— 1 year change: -3.7%
– Total labor force: 719,975 (43,405 unemployed)

#1. Forest County

– Current unemployment rate: 6.11%
— 1 month change: -0.4%
— 1 year change: -2.6%
– Total labor force: 1,687 (103 unemployed)